Upon finding her beloved Grams dead, Scarlet Hood must unravel truths about her Grams' torrid past in order to carry on her legacy.

Interview with Writer/Director Maja Aro

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! I have spent the past few years educating myself in areas where I didn’t know as much in film as I had decided I wanted to be a film maker exactly 3 years ago. Hoods is my solo directorial debut.

I am drawn to characters that I relate to, so when I was writing Hoods, Scarlet just became this girl I wanted to be, and the fantasy world of Hoods became a world I wanted to experience. I wanted to create a film that I wanted to watch.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I created this film to be an entertainment piece, to introduce you into the world of Hoods.

It’s the origin story of Scarlet Hood, and it brings the audience along with her while discovering the fantasy world of Hoods. I want you to come and enjoy this fun ride with me, and I want you to want to see more of the world of Hoods.

Hoods

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

There is a struggle for good and evil in Hoods, with the lines of what and who is good and evil blurred a bit. Scarlet is learning about her family ties, and has a personal journey of self-discovery throughout the film.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?

The script didn’t change too much, I did add a scene to introduce Scarlet a bit better, as the film originally opened with her being thrown right into it, and I felt the audience needed to be introduced to who she is, who she was before her world fell apart and she was forced down her path of self-discovery. As we were shooting we did alter and compact some lines, the actors were great for working through that, and really making the words their own.

The look, tone and feel of the film were always pretty concrete in my head as I was writing the world, and I feel that it only got better and more detailed throughout production, so it naturally evolved to be better.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

So far I have been told that the film looks great, visually it's captivating. Everyone who has given me an opinion also loves the concept, taking two familiar stories and mashing them up in a fun new world.

Hoods

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

So far the feedback has all been positive, I am so excited for that, but also look forward to a discussion with someone who has another opinion of the film. Defend my choices, or learn something new about the world from someone else’s perspective that I haven’t thought about just yet.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

To help further promote Women in Film, and to have more exposure for myself and my film.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

It is just starting its festival run, so film festival directors, buyers and distributors would be the top 3 there, with festival directors being the biggest right now!

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope it gets people talking about the world, and wanting more. I want people to have fun watching it, to have a 20 min escape into fantasy.

Hoods

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Where do your moral boundaries end? Or what would you be willing to do to fight for what you believe in?

Would you like to add anything else?

I am very excited to have this world that has lived in my head out there for people to see.

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela